Fossil fuel CO2 up by 29 per cent since 2000

The strongest evidence yet that the rise in carbon dioxide emissions continues to outstrip the ability of the world’s natural sinks to absorb carbon was published on 17 November in the journal Nature Geoscience. The scientists report a 29-per-cent increase in global CO2 emissions from fossil fuel between 2000 and 2008 (the latest year for which figures are available), and a 41-per-cent increase between 1990 and 2008. In spite of the recent global economic downturn, emissions increased by two per cent during 2008.